History of the Colosseum | From gladiators to ruins

70-81 AD

The construction of the Colosseum began in 70 AD under the rule of King Vespasius. It was just after the Siege of Jerusalem, as the King funded its construction through the victories from war. Many prisoners of war were used as labour to build this massive monument. Three floors were completed by the time King Vespasius died (79 AD). It was built using travertine limestone, usually found deposited around hot springs, a volcanic rock called tuff, brick-faced Roman concrete used to build many structures in Ancient Rome, wood, tiles and cement. Highly skilled engineers, decorators, artists, architects, builders and painters designed the monument.

80 AD

After King Vespasius died in 79 AD, his son and successor, Titus, took over the task of building the Colosseum. While his father had already completed three out of four storeys, Titus oversaw the construction of the fourth level. To commemorate the completion, he organised inaugural games inside the Colosseum that could seat over 65,000 people. These games included animal fights, gladiator combat, hunting, a recreation of criminal battles and criminal executions. According to Roman historian Dio Cassius, over 9000 animals were killed during the inaugural games. The games lasted for 100 days to please the people of Rome and the Roman Gods, as there were many mishaps during Titus's reign, including the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

217- 6th century

While Titus had completed most of the construction before launching inaugural games, Domitian, King Vespasius's younger son and Titus's successor, built underground tunnels for animals and slaves along with a gallery to increase the Colosseum's seating capacity. During the inaugural games, the Flavian Amphitheatre was used for various activities, including animal fights, the reenactment of epic battles and gladiator combats. Historians have also recorded simulated sea battles taking place in the Colosseum, where the battle between the Corcyrean Greeks and Corinthians was enacted. Simulated forests were also created by artists, painters and technicians to depict episodes from mythology or to use as a backdrop for hunting.

Late 6th century to 14th century

By this time, the role of the Colosseum had expanded. It was now being used as a cemetery where well-known Romans were cremated. A chapel was also built inside the Colosseum. The common people used vaults under the seating areas as houses and workshops. During the 12th century, the powerful Frangipani family took over the Colosseum and started using it as a castle. It was in the mediaeval era that the Colosseum was damaged the most. The earthquake in 1349 caused the collapse of the other side of the structure. Stones were stripped for use at other places, and marble was used to make quicklime.

16th and 17th century

During the 14th century, a religious community moved into the amphitheatre, inhabiting the amphitheatre until the Roman Church got involved. There were many propositions about what should be done with the Colosseum. Pope Sixtus V wanted to turn it into a wool factory as a source of employment for the prostitutes of Rome, while Cardinal Altieri, Pope Clement X's nephew, suggested its use for bullfights. But nothing was executed to fruition. It was Pope Benedict XIV who wanted to turn the Colosseum into a sacred site as he believed many Christians were martyred there. He installed many Stations of the Cross. Later, there were many Church-sanctioned restoration projects to reverse the damage caused due to natural and man-made disasters.